A Greenpeace team member holds a Geiger counter displaying radiation levels of 7.66 micro Sievert per hour Iitate village, 40km northwest of the crisis-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, and 20km beyond the official evacuation zone, 27 March 2011. © Christian Åslund / Greenpeace

June 7 (Asahi Shimbun) – Residents outside the planned evacuation zone near the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant are trying to lead normal lives, but radiation levels exceeding the safety standard are posing an increasing threat. A report released June 3 by the science ministry said annual accumulated radiation levels are estimated at 20.1, 20.8, 23.8 millisieverts in the Ishida and Kamioguni areas of the Ryozen-machi district in Date city, and the Ohara area of the Hara-machi district of Minami-Soma, respectively. The government’s safety standard is 20 millisieverts of annual accumulated radiation. These areas lie beyond the planned evacuation zone, which is just outside the off-limits area within a 20-kilometer radius of the plant. The ministry’s calculation assumes current radiation accumulation rates will remain static over one year. The central government and the Date city government held meetings June 5. About 80 local residents attended the one held in the Ishida area and asked for supplies of feed for their livestock. But they also expressed concerns about the possible effects of radiation on expectant mothers. Government officials in charge of nuclear disaster control measures tried to reassure the residents by telling them that the standard of 20 millisieverts is among the lowest in the world. But when asked by residents to present specific measures to lower the radiation levels, the officials only repeated that they would continue to monitor the situation. …

Radiation levels likely exceed safety standard outside evacuation zone